Dropped Test In Tank!

[Basics]

I'm doing a FISHLESS cycle. I'm about a week into it. Today when I was checking my ammonia level After doing the test, I dropped the test tube with water and test regent in it. What should I do? full water change?

 

[Bridie]

Oh dear!
At least there where no fish in it.
What test are you using? My Ammonia test (Nutrafin) contains mercury, which is very poisonous. It might even kill the filter bacteria as well. You could check with the manufacture of your test what the contents are, but I suppose they will be about the same. A 100% waterchange is a must. If it was my tank, I would propably dump the gravel and the filter media as well and start all over again. I imagine mercury as a heavy metal is not easily removed. I would not want to have a newly cycled tank which is potentially dangerous to fish I put in. Maybe you could get the water tested for mercury before putting fish in? Better be safe than sorry.

 

[Basics]

Its nutrafin. Wow change the gravel and the sponges as well. Geez I really messed up huh?

 

[Basics]

Oh dear!
At least there where no fish in it.
What test are you using? My Ammonia test (Nutrafin) contains mercury, which is very poisonous. It might even kill the filter bacteria as well. You could check with the manufacture of your test what the contents are, but I suppose they will be about the same. A 100% waterchange is a must. If it was my tank, I would propably dump the gravel and the filter media as well and start all over again. I imagine mercury as a heavy metal is not easily removed. I would not want to have a newly cycled tank which is potentially dangerous to fish I put in. Maybe you could get the water tested for mercury before putting fish in? Better be safe than sorry.

How would I get it tested for mercury?

 

[Bridie]

Not sure, maybe at the laboratory the water supplier uses for their analysis? I don´t know if they do tests for private clients. But if you clean everything out, and use a good water conditioner that binds heavy metals you should be fine.

 

[OohFeeshy]

Oh, honestly, I wouldn't panic. It's not going to be that toxic to start with, not if you can buy it any old where. And you use a few drops to do the test. And you're fishless cycling. Maybe a water change, probably carbon.

 

[doresy]

Oh, honestly, I wouldn't panic. It's not going to be that toxic to start with, not if you can buy it any old where. And you use a few drops to do the test. And you're fishless cycling. Maybe a water change, probably carbon.

I thought they were going to call in the BP clean-up crew!! Bit of an over-reaction me thinks

 

[Bridie]

still has mercury in there. Here is a link to a safety sheet about Nessler´s Reagent (that´s what the test is) http/hannainstusa.com/hannaindia.com/msds/sdsHI_93764-0.pdf . That you can buy something doesn´t mean it´s safe to have in the tank! You can buy fairy liquid, ammonia, chlorine tablets for swimming pools, fishmeds that kill snails+shrimps... Maybe starting from scratch would be over the top, I don´t know. Perhaps 6 drops are not enough to poison fish after a couple of waterchanges. I just would not want to take the chance if it was my tank.